NIH, FDA and CDC Funding Closer to Being Cut

The House of Representatives has approved a bill funding the remainder of the current fiscal year that cuts funding to federal programs by $60 billion. This bill will have a devastating impact on many AGA priorities. The bill cuts NIH funding by $1.6 billion, which amounts to a 5 percent cut; FDA funding by $242 million, a 10 percent cut; and CDC funding, which includes the Colorectal Cancer Screening Program, by $1 billion, a 10 percent cut. The House also approved several amendments denying funding to the administration to implement health-care reform law. The legislation passed the House by a vote of 235-189, with not a single Democrat supporting the bill. The president has stated that he will veto the measure, which the Senate will not adopt since the Democrats still control the chamber.

The challenge remains how to enact a temporary measure by March 4 when the current continuing resolution expires. The House has stated that they will not support a temporary stop gap measure to keep the government running and the Democrats have stated that they will not support the deep cuts passed by the House, leading some to believe that a government shutdown is coming. Congress is currently in recess and will resume negotiations when they return to work.

In the interim, if you haven’t already, please contact your legislators and urge them not to cut NIH funding. It is critical that the new members of Congress learn about the importance of the NIH, FDA and CDC, not only for the promise research has for finding cures, but for our economy and global competitiveness.

We will continue to follow the budget process and provide updates on the AGA Washington Insider.